It has been a longstanding objective in the art to rapidly and accurately measure the temperature of a patient. The core temperature of a mammal may be approximately measured in a number of ways. For example, typical temperature measuring techniques use specialized probes such as oral, rectal, axillary, and/or tympanic probes to measure the temperature of a specific area of the body. The body's “core temperature” may then be extrapolated from such a measurement. Reference may be had to U.S. Pat. No. 6,292,685 to Pompei (Temporal Artery Temperature Detector). Each of the aforementioned probes is useful under different circumstances. For example, axillary probes are particularly useful in conjunction with neonates, whereas tympanic infrared probes are widely used on adults.
The use of tympanic infrared probes on adults has proven to be particularly useful. One of the primary advantages of such probes is their speed—a typical infrared probe can measure the temperature of the tympanic membrane in less than one second. In contrast, a mercury oral thermometer often takes several minutes to provide a proper measurement. Examples of tympanic infrared probes include U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,936 to Yelderman et al. (Noncontact Infrared Tympanic Thermometer) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,823 to Kraus et al. (Infrared Radiation Thermometer with Variable Exterior Probe Head for Conforming to Body Cavity). Such tympanic infrared thermometers are readily commercially available. For example, the Braun Pro4000, available from Welch Allyn, provides such an infrared probe, complete with a disposable, sanitary cover.
The use of infrared axillary probes is also known in the art. Reference may be had to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,874,736; 5,893,833; 6,045,257; 6,056,435; 6,241,384; 6,299,347; 6,402,371; and 6,499,877 to Pompei et al.
Unfortunately, other bodily sites are not so suitable for infrared temperature measurement. For such other sites, traditional thermometers, which require long equilibration times, are often used to measure temperatures. Traditional thermometers include those materials, both liquid and solid, that expand or otherwise change their physical confirmation when heated. Examples include mercury and ethanol based thermometers. It would be a significant advantage if medical personnel could quickly measure body temperature at multiple locations using infrared technology. It would be a further advantage if medical personnel could use a single infrared thermometer to obtain temperature measurements at multiple sites.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,936 to Kraus et al. (Infrared Thermometer for Performing Temperature Measurements at Different Sites) provides a device capable of measuring body temperature using either temporal or tympanic probes. Although Kraus discusses the desirability of obtaining infrared temperature readings from other bodily sites, obtaining such measurements has proven problematic. The device of Kraus is deficient in that it does not describe a mechanism or method for enabling an infrared temperature reading from the sites most commonly used by healthcare professionals, particularly oral, rectal and axillary sites. Conversions to derive readings similar to these sites are discussed but such conversions are found to work only in general and are not sufficiently accurate for individual subjects.
Additional background references that are of some importance, while not material to the present claims, include U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,234 to Bohm (Infrared Temperature Sensor); U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,673 to Fraden (Infrared Thermometer); U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,243 to Fraden (Probe Cover for Infrared Thermometer); U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,671 to Tseng (Probe Cover with Film Insert); U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,160 to Fraden (Blackbody Cavity for Calibration of Infrared Thermometers); U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,439 to Bellifemine (Infrared Thermometer); U.S. Pat. No. 6,709,154 to Janotte (Radiation Thermometer and Radiation Sensor with Several Sensor Elements, Method for Determining Temperature); U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,927 to Bellifemine (Infrared Thermometer); U.S. Pat. No. 6,751,497 to Fraden (Infrared Thermometer); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,048,437 to Bellifermine (Infrared Thermometer and Waveguide for Infrared Thermometer).
Therefore, an infrared thermometer is desired which permits the user to rapidly measure body temperature at multiple sites using a single device.
Furthermore, an infrared thermometer is desired which automatically detects what type of probe is connected to the thermometer and thereafter loads a program that permits the thermometer to properly interpret data from such a probe.